Story Behind the Ink
by VisionaryDame
Summary: Nerine sees the rest of Law's tattoos for the first time since joining the Heart Pirates, and she finds herself admiring them more than she thought. There's always a story behind the ink, she knew that much; seeing his reminded her of his story, one that she knew too well. [Slight LawOC]


It was obvious from the moment she joined the Heart Pirates that Nerine was well aware of Trafalgar Law's tattoos; considering they were black in color, it was fairly tough to miss them. How could anyone miss them, for that matter, when they covered both of his hands and forearms? Not only that, but he certainly did nothing to hide them, either, as he preferred to keep his sleeves rolled up at all times. In fact, it was almost as if he made sure everyone that encountered him - friend or foe - saw them for themselves. Then again, when it came to someone like Law, Nerine also knew that appearances did not matter to him in the slightest. A stylistic decision seemed to be the more appropriate route for him, though it was difficult to tell sometimes.

Now, when she first joined the crew, Nerine had only seen glimpses of the tattoos that inked her captain's arms and hands. The bold word "DEATH" was written clear as day on both hands, a letter for each finger, and black crosses on the back of his tanned hands. Two matching pairs that were eerily reminiscent of their Jolly Roger was located on his forearms, though they appeared simple in design. That was the extent of which she knew about Law's tattoos, and as mentioned previously, she had only seen glimpses of them from time to time. What she was not aware of, however, was the fact that he had _more_ than just the ones she was able to see.

Unfortunately - or at least, it was to her - she ended up learning about them after walking in on Law after he had just taken a shower.

Nerine was unsure of how to respond upon glimpsing at her half-naked captain wearing nothing but a towel around his waist while hanging one around his neck. He was aware of her presence, but he seemed oblivious to the fact that his blacksmith was still standing at his door with rounded emerald eyes. What was she supposed to say or even do in this situation? She did knock before entering, of course, and he did say it was okay to enter; with that in mind, she presumed things were okay. She was not expecting to find Law just leaving his bathroom after showering, let alone step out in nothing but a towel to cover himself knowing that she was going to be there soon.

However, despite the awkward situation, Nerine could not help but stare at the black tribal ink that stained the rest of Law's body, something she did not anticipate to see. The first one she took notice to was his back, as it happened to be facing her as he set down the clothes he had planned to wear. It was the familiar sight of their Jolly Roger emblazoned for all to see; a simple choice and design, yes, but it was something she was not expecting to see. On his shoulders were heart tattoos, once again simple in design but she believed it was symbolic of their crew...and his story.

It did not sink in that she had been staring at her captain for a prolonged period until Law, after receiving no response when he asked her a question she did not hear, turned to look at her curiously. It was when he faced to her that she saw the much more intricate tattoo located on his chest. Just like on his shoulders, it was in the shape of a heart, but with a much more elaborate detail accompanied with the Jolly Roger in the center of it. It was a bit of a contrast to the other, more straightforward tattoos, and it was enough for Nerine to continue staring in complete silence and, from the looks of it, awe.

She was unsure as to why she felt this, but she had strong feelings of admiration at the sight of them. They had a story behind them, a purpose for their existence, and to others, it may have been symbolic of his crew. In a way, it would have been considered paying omage to them. Nerine, however, had a feeling that there was more to it than just paying tribute to his slowly growing crew. She had a feeling that she knew exactly what that story may have been but felt the need to keep quiet about it. Maybe now was not the best to talk about that now; at least, not for a while.

"Never took you for someone who enjoyed staring at shirtless men behind their backs, Neri."

The comment from Law not only broke her chain of thought, but it immediately made her throw a hand over her eyes, shielding them from her captain. She did not even look at him to know he had that smug look on his face when making such a teasing comment.

"Never took you for someone who enjoyed inviting his crewmates to his room wearing nothing but a towel, Captain," she retorted monotonously, trying to keep her cool in front of him. No use in trying to deny it; she _was_ staring at Law, but not for the reason he was thinking. "And for the record, I wasn't staring at _you_."

Law raised a brow as he chuckled; he never thought he would see the day when he would find his stoic blacksmith blushing. It was oddly charming.

"The color of your face," he teased, "tells me a different story."

Nerine sharply inhaled as if she was completely unaware of the fact that her face was growing hotter the longer she stood there. The comment alone was enough for the red to turn darker in hue, though she gave up trying to hide it as she lowered her hand. Unable to look her captain in the eye, her eyes remained downcast and glared at the floor, a small pout forming on her lips as she did so.

"I-I wasn't staring at your body, Captain," she repeated herself. Law continued to stare in silence; he was not buying it. "I was...actually looking at your tattoos if you must know."

Her words actually surprised Law a bit, causing his smile to fade almost instantly. He stole a glance at the ink that marked his chest and shoulders before looking back at her. Moments later, his smile returned.

"Oh, so you were admiring these?" He asked, genuinely curious to see that Nerine had found something of interest outside of her blacksmithing. However, she said nothing to confirm or deny the question, opting to keep her gaze elsewhere. Law took this as his answer and said, "Glad to see you found something to pique your interests outside of your work."

Nerine remained silent for a moment before finding the strength to look at Law.

"Well..." She started, "when you have a hunch about the story behind the ink, it's hard not to admire them." Law's smile faded once more, turning blank as he stared into her eyes. "It's...sort of like a memento to show how far you've come in life. A memento for those you want to remember." She went silent as she stared at Law for a moment, seemingly losing her train of thought for a split second before blinking and looking elsewhere in shame. "But...I could be wrong. It's probably just a stupid assumption that I came up with, anyway."

"It's _not_ a stupid assumption, Nerine," Law suddenly said, his voice low and almost monotonous. Nerine found herself looking back at him, eyes slightly widened in surprise, and took notice to the serious look in his eyes. They almost bore into her were it not for the faint, almost nonexistent softness that hid behind those silver hues. They continued to stare at one another for a few moments before Law closed his eyes. "I should...probably finish getting dressed," he muttered, turning to his bed once again. The action made Nerine's gaze falter as he continued, "I didn't call you here to discuss private matters dressed like this, so...I'll do that."

Nerine, while keeping her gaze downward, turn herself away and rubbed her arms gently, giving him the privacy that he needed.

"Right, Captain."


End file.
